The Dallas Cowboys took a meaningful step toward becoming a threat in the NFC next season by hiring Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator. There is still plenty of work to be done, but the Parker move is a progressive, forward-thinking move that has long eluded this franchise.
Heck, the Cowboys got better the moment they fired Matt Eberflus. Finding an upgrade wasn’t going to be difficult, but they hit it out of the park by hiring Parker, who is widely considered one of the brightest young coaches in the NFL.
Parker’s first order of business is assembling his coaching staff. Since Matt Eberflus was let go, Cowboys fans have wondered how many of his assistants, if any, would return. While that remains unclear, Parker appears eager to distance himself from his predecessor.
According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the team's defensive assistants were granted permission to seek other jobs and to interview with Parker to remain on staff.
Cowboys assistant coaches have been given permission to seek other jobs and to interview with new DC Christian Parker to remain with the staff. Some coaches are at Senior Bowl getting ready for those practices next week.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) January 24, 2026
New Cowboys DC Christian Parker seems like he wants to put together his own staff
Letting Parker and Brian Schottenheimer (mostly Parker) put together his own staff is unequivocally the right call.
It would be a different story if even one assistant had exceeded expectations this season and players were lobbying for them to return, but that wasn’t the case. Not a single position group punched above its weight class. Defensive back, linebacker, defensive line. You name it. Every unit struggled.
Fortunately for Parker, some assistants have gotten a head start with seeking other opportunities.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Titans have requested an interview with Cowboys defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton for their DC vacancy. That isn’t entirely surprising, as Whitecotton and newly minted Titans head coach Robert Saleh have coached together at three different stops.
READ MORE: Cowboys came dangerously close to another Matt Eberflus disaster before DC twist
In fact, Parker has already circled a potential replacement. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Dallas is interviewing Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, who played for the Cowboys from 2008 to 2010 and previously worked alongside Parker in Denver.
In addition to Dixon, Dallas (via Archer) is interviewing Eagles assistant linebackers coach and defensive quality control coach Ronnel Williams, who previously served as Philly's nickel cornerbacks coach in 2023 and overlapped with Parker on the Eagles in 2024 and 2025.
It’s still unclear whether Parker will retain any current Cowboys assistants, but it’s a strong sign that he has already begun identifying potential replacements.
With the process moving quickly, Parker’s staff could start coming together as early as next week, when he's expected to be introduced by the team.